


Holidays Were Meant to be Relaxing

by RachaelJurassic



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:42:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27961721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RachaelJurassic/pseuds/RachaelJurassic
Summary: It's three days till Christmas. Giles is stressed. Jenny decides she's had enough of that!
Relationships: Jenny Calendar/Rupert Giles
Comments: 5
Kudos: 13





	Holidays Were Meant to be Relaxing

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to froxyn and The_Eclectic_Bookworm :)

When Jenny returned from an afternoon of Christmas shopping she found that Rupert’s mood had not improved. 

Five days into the holiday and the anticipated de-stressing had not occurred. In fact, this morning Rupert had been worse than ever. He’d woken her up, banging around in the kitchen, at a far too early hour and had uttered only a rather perfunctory apology. 

After an uncharacteristically snippy reply to what should have been an easy enough question – what do you feel like doing today? - Jenny had forced him to tell her what the hell had him wound up so tight. 

She had decided a hasty retreat was in order and hit the town.

“So….erm….how’s it going?” she ventured.

Rupert looked at her from the couch, glared at his desk, and returned to his book.

“It’s not. It’s damned well…” he pursed his lips in frustration.

“I’m sure if you…”

“Do you want to bloody write it?”

“Rupert, it’s not my fault.”

“I know, I’m sorry, but do you have any idea how hard it is to explain everything that has happened this year while simultaneously downplaying the roles of three teenagers, a tame werewolf, a reformed vampire, and a technopagan?”

“Erm…”

“Stupid bloody annual report.”

Jenny put down her shopping by the door.

“So…are you reading for work or distraction?”

“Bit of both.”

“Just putting off the inevitable?”

No reply.

Well, this wouldn’t do. This holiday was supposed to be fun. Hard earned fun. She’d been indecently excited when Rupert had mentioned that he wouldn’t be going back to England for Christmas. He’d um-ed and ah-ed for a while before actually getting to the point, of course, but eventually he’d almost asked her ‘if….well, I mean….I-I-I was wondering….that is to say…’ before she’d finally taken pity and mentioned that she too was going to be staying in Sunnydale. He’d graced her with one of his best smiles and before he knew it, he was having her round for Christmas dinner. Which was in three days. And was going to be freaking miserable if she didn’t get him to relax and stop working so damned hard.

Decision made; it didn’t take long for her to set up her plan. Rupert was determinedly engrossed in his book and so looked up, rather startled, when she came to stand next to him.

“You need to relax,” she said, gently pulling the book from his hands. “Come on.”

Rupert looked up, interest growing.

Jenny turned and walked to the bathroom. After waiting for a moment, she came back to find him looking quizzically at her.

“I, er, thought…” he pointed upstairs.

“Good grief, it’s all about sex with you, isn’t it!”

“What? No, I mean…no…” he was turning a delightful shade of pink.

Jenny couldn’t help but smile as she repeated more forcefully, “Come on.”

This time he followed but was brought up short by what he found in the bathroom.

“Why is my office chair in here?”

“Well…”

“And how did you get it in here without me noticing?”

“I’m sneaky.”

“Hmm.”

“I’m going to wash your hair,” she stated.

“I’m sorry?”

“Come on.”

“I washed my hair this morning.”

“That’s not really the point.”

“Well, I fail to see the point to be frank.”

“Rupert, it’s like when you go to the hairdressers….well, barbers.”

“What?”

“Don’t they wash your hair at the barbers?”

“Not as a rule.”

“Oh, well you’re in for a treat. Sit down.”

“Jenny…”

“Just sit down!”

She took a step forward, giving him her most assertive look.

The expression that crossed his face was one of her favourites - taken aback, mixed with turned on, with a side of flustered. It made her knees a little weak. She put her hands on his shoulders, turned him slightly and gently pressed down until Rupert found himself sitting in his office chair with his back to the sink.

OK, first step accomplished. 

“Now, just try to relax.”

“I’m finding that a tad difficult right now because I have a feeling my girlfriend is losing her mind.”

Jenny tried to stop the smile from coming, she risked losing control of the situation if she became distracted by silly terms like ‘girlfriend’, but it was a losing battle. To distract herself she started the water and began filling the jug. As she waited, she ran one hand through Rupert’s hair. He smiled at that. He was so going to love this.

Rupert always tried to keep a safe distance between them at work – which she thoroughly enjoyed invading. He rarely made first contact, but it was clear that as soon as contact was made the man was totally gone. It made her heart ache a little to watch him try to steadfastly keep her at arm’s length, while simultaneously sending out every kind of signal that read ‘please touch me’. 

She could already feel him relaxing and she’d barely begun.

“Let me know if this is the right temperature,” she said as she poured a little water over his head.

“Er, that’s fine.”

“Are you comfortable?”

“Compared to what?”

She poured the rest rather too violently.

“It’s running down my neck!”

“Well, take your shirt off.”

“I…”

“Go on.”

Rupert looked up at her, sceptical.

“Trust me, it’ll be a lot nicer without a wet shirt.” She waved the jug around, threateningly.

He sighed the sigh of the greatly put upon but relented.

“You’re not usually this reluctant to get your shirt off.”

“Well, I’m fairly certain this is an elaborate set up for a practical joke.”

“Please, Rupert, I’m trying to do something nice.”

“Hmmm.”

She filled the jug again.

“Good God, it’s reached my trousers…and, no, I am not taking them off!”

Jenny stifled a giggle as she squeezed some shampoo into her hand. Now for the good bit.

The moment she started massaging Rupert’s head she saw his face soften. Next his eyes closed, shoulders relaxed, breathing slowed, mouth fell open, small smile…..oh God this was so much better than she’d imagined. She moved to the back of his head and a slight groan was her reward. Then her favourite part, just behind his ears. She wasn’t sure what was so sexy about that part of Rupert, but it was, and she wasn’t going to worry about it right now because she was having too much fun.

“You get this every time at the hairdressers?” Rupert slurred a little.

“Yup.”

“Blimey.”

“I know, right, worth the price of admission.”

“Hmmm.”

As she picked up the jug and rinsed, she noticed Rupert’s frown.

“Don’t worry, always rinse and repeat.”

His smile made her want to kiss him then and there, but she needed to keep her focus. By the time this was over she’d get more than a kiss out of him.

And so she began her second attack on the ball of anxiety that was Rupert Giles. She took her time, enjoying the feeling of running her fingers through his soapy hair, lightly scratching his scalp. As she worked he seemed to melt into the chair. He didn’t even notice when she finished up and patted his hair with a towel. Was he actually asleep?

“Ok, that’s you done.”

“Huh?”

“Up you get.”

“Think I’ll stay here for a bit… ‘m comfy,” he mumbled, eyes still closed.

Jenny smiled as she straddled his legs and sat. He didn’t even jump. 

The corners of his mouth curved upwards as his hands slid up her legs to rest on her hips.

Slowly his eyes opened. He looked drunk; pupils blown. Jenny leaned in for a kiss. The most sleepy, languid, gentle kiss. She could have spent all day with Rupert like this. It was like those sweet kisses he’d give her after sex when both of them had driven all thoughts from their minds. A moment of quiet.

“So,” she said as she smiled against his lips. “I was thinking…I’m feeling like I need a little destressing myself.”

“Oh yeah.”

She could feel his smile.

“So…” she pulled away and stood up.

Rupert looked a little bereft.

“What do you say?”

“What did you have in mind?”

She undid the top button of her shirt, watching his smile broaden, before turning and heading towards the stairs.


End file.
